The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-22
what BouIapRer says.

A special to the New York Herald
says: | saw Gen. Boulanger at the
Ministry of War at 4 o'clock this af-
ternoon. | asked The General if he
had seen NJ. De Freycinet, whom
President Grevy had summoned TO
form a new Cabinet. Gen. Boulan-
ger replied II have not seen De
Freycinet since | met him at a din
ner that he gave three months ago to
several ambassadors"
asked: II am told that De
Freycinet does not intend to reserve
the portfolio of Minister Of War for
you in the Ministry he is now form
ing. Is this so, general2"
Gen. Boulanger said: "Perh 'ps it
would be no harm to consider what
my own intentions are. If accept
what by the way has not yet been
offered me, | should do so only upon
my own conditions"
Correspondent-May | ask what
are the conditions?
Gen. BoulaDger-In the first place,
will not consent to withdrawal or
modification in any way Of my bill
for the reorganization of the army,
nor of my plan for a partial mobili-
cation the coming autumn. | will
not consent TO a reduction OF the war
budget by a single centime. Then
there are certain men with whom |
would never consent to be in the
same Cabinet with.
Correspondent Will you name
the men you refer to. General?
Gen. Boulanger-I would rather
noe. | only say that they are per-
sons who hold too cheaply the dig
nifty of the country, and who wish to
put brake on the awakening of the
military spirit of the nation.
CorrespOndent-To arouse a mill
tary spirit in France might at the
present moment be dangerous to the
peace.
Gen. Boulanger-I do not wish the
esprit militaire to 60 too far nor in
any way to assume an air OF provoca-
ton, but | am convinced that an es-
prit militaire is our best defense if
we are attacked, and | will never do
anything to lessen or dim the esprit
national. | would rather break my
sword.
Correspondent-What will happen
if you do not form part of the new
Ministry
Gen. Boulanger = will, OF course,
retire quietly. 1t is very natural for
general to wish to be Minister OF
War, but when he has been Minister
of War, as | have been the past sew
enteen months, he is apt to become
disheartened and tired out. | shall
leave the army prepared to organize
and able to measure its strength with
any army that exists. Germany will
not attack us, because Germany
knows we are strong, and the Ger
maus are prudent. The French army
has not moments hope of any ally,
for there is not a single power in
Europe that has confidence in us, on
account OF our uncertain policy-in.
stabilize aOtred pOlitqWe. But we
need nobody. [ consider war
as inevitable. To be sure,
we might disarm and there
by make great economy, but this
would be doing exactly what our
neighbors want us to do, and they
would make us in a very short time
pay dearly for it, | Will never con-
sent to abandon one iota of my mill
tary aud political convictions. So
long as | am Ministergof War 1 war,
France will not submit to the slight
est adront, and | prefer to retire
rather than be in a Cabinet, the
members of which would not allow
me freedom Of action"
81 also assure you" said the gen.
eral, concluding the interview, that
| would not accept any high COM
mand, other than army commander
of the corps d'armee, nor aspire to
any Office. | will wait.